Improvement in refrigerators



NITE-'D STATE-s EDGAR B. SMITH, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,305, dated October 26, 1875; application filed February 27, 1875.

,similar view, showing the top 4of the refrigerator removed, and thediiferent cases partly drawn out. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a horizontal section. l

Similar letters of wreference 41n the drawings denote the same parts.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved 'refrigeratorfor general use. To

this end the invention consists, first, in a nest of paper cases contained within an exterior case or cabinet, and provided with dead-air :spaces between their proximate walls, secondly, in the construction of the several paper cases, by which they are each adapted for removal from the others; thirdly, in the means employed to form the air-spaces between the severalcases; fourthly, inthe ,method of closvin g the tops of the air-spaces under the cover of the refrigerator; fthly, in the construction -of the cover to the refrigerator and the cover tothe interior ice-box; sixthly, in the construction of the provision-chamber and iceboxes.

In the accompanying drawings, A 1s the outside case or cabinet, constructed of wood,

in any suitable manner, and lined with thickl paper, rendered impervious to moisture by being saturated or coated with a compound of red lead and parafline-wax. B is the outer, and C `the inner,paper case, each composed of a thick and a thin paper box, open at the top, and of-such relativev sizes that, when one is placed within the other, a dead-air space, d, shall be formed between them. The case B is made with its outer box e of thin paper, and its inner box f of very thick paper, preferably molded directly from the pulp, and

- about one inch in thickness, more or less. In

thefcase C this order is reversed-the outer box being the thickest. The boxes composmg each case are secured together, and spaced from each other, by means of the horizontal topand bottom strips h. The vertical strips i and the angular corner-stripsj are madelfrom paper, or molded from paper-pulp, in the form` shown'.

In constructing the cases, I make lthe thick boxes or walls of each in'iive pieces or plates?- to wit, two -end pieces, two side pieces, and one bottom piece-and, in fitting these'together in the form of a box, I employ four angularcorner-pieces, K, made of corresponding thick paper, and placed in an upright position, against which the ends of the side and end lpieces are abutted, and held by -an interior and exterior sheet or layer of paper coated with the compound of red lead and parafirnewax. The walls are then set upon the bottom piece, to which they are secured in a similar manner, the compound possessing sufficient adhesiveness to unite all the joints, andrform thereby a perfect box.

The thin box or wall of each case is formed by rst sticking the spacing-strips h e' j to the outside or inside of the thick walls, accordingly as case B or Gis being made, and then carrying a sheet or layer of paper all around the box against the spacing-strips, securing it thereto with the above-named compound. By this construction the various paper parts ot the refrigerator can be packed Y in small compass for shipment, vand set up after reaching their destination. The paper lining and covering sheets of the thick walls, as well as that composing the outerwall or box, extend vabove the top of the case, as shown at g, Fig. 2, for a purpose to be presently described. The case B is `made a little smaller than the interior of the cabinet A, so that when placed therein a dead-air space, l, shall be formed between them, and the case C is made smaller than the case B, for the formation between them of a similar air-space, l. Horizontal strips h1, vertical strips t, and angular corner-stripsj1, all made of thick paper, serveto preserve the form of the airlspaces l, and hold the paper cases properly in place. They may or may not be secured by the adhesive compound; but, to render all the parts perfectly tight,I prefer that they should be so secured. The upper horizontal` strips h1 are secured to the top of the inner case C, and are carried with it, as Ashown in Fig. 2. M is the metallic icechestf placed within the inner paperl case C. It is made a little smaller than the case, so that a dead-air space, l', shall be formed between them. h2 'i2 f2 are the strips for; this space, constructed and applied in the same manner as the strips already described, the top strips h2 being secured to the top of the case (l, so as to `be carried therewith. The inner case C is of vless depth than the outer case, and the latter is of less depth than the inclosing-cabinet, so that when the three are fitted together there shall Abe a space between their tops and the refrigerautwor-cover. 4lined upon the under side with a sheet of pa- N is the top of the refrigerator,

per coated with the adhesive` Water-proof compound, and cut out at the center for the reception of ahinged cover.l Thecover, which Ais hinged to one edge of the opening in the top N, is formed of a rectangular Wooden frame, O, closed at the top by a wooden panel, LQ, and at the bottom by a sheet, P, of paper, thus producing a dead-air spacen', within the cover, as shown in Fig. l. The space between .the frameof the cover and the top of thein- ,ner case C is closed by a rectangular frame, S, .formed with a base-plate to rest upon the top of the case, as shown in Fig. 1. .is made of paper or paper-pulp, and coated This frame with the waterproof adhesive compound.

. .The outer edge of its an ge lies in contact with theinner wall of the outer case B, and its in. -ner edge in Contact `with the contracted upper `edge of the icechest.

After the frame S has been-placed in position, the inner paper coverings g of the case B are bent over upon the flange, and the outer covering g is bent over the strip h, so that its end shall lie against the `upright part of the frame, as shown in Fig. l.

The parts are fastened together by the application of the adhesive water-proof compound, and form addition al dead-air spaces under the cover of the refrigerator. The cases are held within the cabinet by long screw-bolts Tpassing down through the top,.and through the upper and lower strips of each case, to 4the uu- "der side of the cabinet, where they receive the holding-nuts U, as shown. By unscrewing the `nuts the bolts may be pulledout for the re- ,moval ofthe cases when necessary or desirable.

The ice-chest is also provided with a cover `set into its top, and constructed as follows: .V is a thick rectangular frame of paper, large enough to tit upon the inner flange ofthe -frame S, and covered upon both sides with a .layer or sheet of paper. Two other paper frames, W, are secured to its under side, and

.made of such size as to pass down within the lange of the frame S into the mouth of the ice-chest. The two smaller frames clamp a i sheet of paper between them, and the bottom of the lower one is covered by a sheetlof metal, y'. (Shown in Fig. l.) The cover thus built up contains threedead-air passages, y y y, to protect the contents of the ice-chest. The under side of the cabinet is covered with a sheet of thick paper, Z, to more completely protect it against the` admission of dampness' land heat, and this, as well as all the other C. The bottoms of these receptacles are perforated, or their faces are provided with perforated shields D', removed therefromltoform narrow air-spaces. The vapors or gases arising from the articles to be refrigerated pass through the perforated shields,in contact with the faces of the receptacles containing ice, and are there condensed, and flow down into the drip-pan without dropping into the refrigerating-chamber. As the ice melts the water flows through `the` perforated bottoms of the receptacles into the drip-pans, and the contents of the latter `are conducted out of the refrigerator' by a goose-neck pipe, E'.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is l. A refrigerator having its walls composed of a nest of paper cases, contained withinian exterior cabinet, and providedwith dead-air spaces between them, substantially as described, for the purpose speciiied. y

2. The paper cases B 0, each composed of a thick and a thinvwall of paper, having a dead-air space between them, substantially as described.

3. The paper cases 'B G, constructedin several parts, as described,` which are secured together by thin paper andA anadhesive waterproof compound, for the purposes speciiedaf" 4. The several spacing-strips of the cases, constructed from paper `or `paper-pulp, and

coated with an adhesive water-proof .com-

pound, substantially as described, forthe purpose specied. 1 5. The combination of the rectangularframe S with the paper cases `B C, substantially as described, for the purpose specified. i

6. The method-.of .forming dead-air spaces under the cover of the refrigerator by carrying the paper extensions g of 'the cases B C over and in contact with the frame S,substan tially as described.

7.The rectangular frame S, composed of paper or paper-pulp, and coated with an adhesive Water-proof compound, substantially as described.

8. The cover of the refrigerator, composed of a Wooden frame, closed at the top by a frame of -Wood, and at the bottom-by a sheet of paper, so as to produce the interior airspace r, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

9. The cover of the ice-chest, constructed of paper frames V W, a series of paper partitions, and a bottom of sheet metal, all arranged to form the dead-air spaces y, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

10. vThe improvement in the construction of refrigerators, consisting of the coating ofthe paper parts, as specified, with the water-proof adhesive compound, for the purposes set forth.

11. The upright ice-receptacles, constructed with perforated bottoms and perforated shields upon their faces, substantially as described, for the purpose specied.

12. The arrangement of the ice-receptacles Within the drippingpan, substantially as shown and described.

A i EDGAR B. SMITH. Witnesses:

NATHAN K. ELLsWoRTH, E. S. KARNER. 

